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Chapter 32: Love Detective
🕑 Added 2025-07-30 20:32:01 +0000 UTC“‘Lemon’... the original version?” Kita Ikuyo blinked, momentarily confused.
Yamada Ryo nodded beside her.
“Yeah. The composition and lyrics were all written by Suki-san.”
“Huh?” Kita’s eyes widened with disbelief.
The original creator of that song was right next to her? That felt way too surreal.
After all, Lemon wasn’t just popular—it had exploded across the internet within two weeks of its release.
It wasn’t an exaggeration to say it was dominating the charts and timelines.
Half of Youtube’s music section was packed with videos related to the song.
And now she was being told the original artist... was Aoki-senpai?
It wasn’t just hard to believe.
It was impossible to believe.
Yet, Ryo-senpai looked absolutely certain.
Kita turned to Aoki Kei, eyes full of doubt and searching for confirmation.
Aoki Kei sighed.
He had hoped this topic would pass by unnoticed, but telling Kita Ikuyo the truth wouldn’t do any harm, right?
Catching her expectant look, he gave a small nod.
“Yeah. I’m the one who released it first.”
“Wha...?”
“Wha—?!”
Kita’s disbelief instantly flipped into shock.
Her wide eyes sparkled with surprise as she stammered, “A-Aoki-senpai, you’re the original singer of Lemon?!”
Her voice, rising with excitement, immediately drew the attention of nearby pedestrians.
Realizing she’d accidentally shouted, Kita’s face flushed a deep red.
But embarrassment didn’t stop her curiosity from bubbling up.
Looking at Aoki again, she said with astonishment, “I can’t believe it... You’re really the one who wrote Lemon...! Ah, and I’m so sorry! I don’t usually go out of my way to listen to original versions, so I never realized...”
“There’s nothing to apologize for,” Aoki replied calmly.
Still, Kita shook her head slightly—only to forget all about her apology as her mind rapidly shifted gears.
Excitement returning full force, her eyes lit up.
“Aoki-senpai, your singing must be amazing, right? Could you perform Lemon when we get to the live house later? Oh, and, and—when’s your next song coming out? Lemon was soooo good! I’m really looking forward to your next one!”
Aoki hadn’t really tested out the “Advanced Singing” skill he unlocked after receiving it, so this could be a good opportunity to try it in front of the others.
As for the new song...
He thought for a moment, then answered, “I can definitely sing it later. As for the new song... I’m planning to release it soon. Not sure exactly when, though.”
“A new song?”
Before Kita could react, Yamada Ryo chimed in.
She didn’t usually show it, but she really loved Aoki’s Lemon.
The melody, the lyrics, the emotional tension—it all hit her tastes perfectly.
A little melancholic, yet deeply resonant.
The lyrics had a bittersweet edge, while the melody contrasted with an energetic vibe.
If she had to score it out of ten, she’d easily give it a hundred.
And more importantly, Aoki Kei had done exactly what he always said he aimed for—he created something personal, something with a unique style, instead of chasing fleeting trends like most throwaway pop songs.
So when he mentioned working on a new song, Ryo suddenly perked up.
“Suki-san’s releasing a new track? Will it be similar to the last one? What genre this time? Still acoustic? Do you have a draft or demo yet? Can I hear it?”
She usually played the cool and quiet type, but whenever it came to music she loved, Yamada Ryo transformed completely—talkative and brimming with passion.
Aoki paused at the barrage of questions.
“Uh... I haven’t decided on the style yet. But it’ll probably still be an acoustic guitar piece.”
“Oh—I get it,” Ryo nodded thoughtfully. “Suki-san, you’re the type of genius who just gets sudden bursts of inspiration and writes a song in one sitting, right?”
“B-bursts of inspiration... yeah, I guess you could call it that?”
————————————————————————
It takes about thirty minutes to walk from Shibuya Scramble Crossing to Shimokitazawa.
The three of them strolled slowly toward STARRY, chatting along the way.
They stopped by a dessert shop to pick up ice cream cones—one each.
No one was in a rush, so even though the walk ended up taking about fifty minutes, it was still only around 1:30 PM when they arrived.
That wasn’t too far off schedule.
There wasn’t a strict rule about when to be at STARRY for training—it was all up to each person’s own motivation.
They followed the stylish backstreets of Shimokitazawa until they finally arrived at the familiar entrance to the live house.
Since Nijika usually got up early, the venue was already open by this time.
Without hesitation, Aoki Kei reached to push the door open—
But just before he could, Ryo suddenly spoke.
Ever since the conversation about the new song, she had gone quiet again, letting Kita Ikuyo and Aoki chat while walking.
But now, she broke her silence.
“Suki-san. Thanks for lunch. And the ice cream. I’ll treat you next time.”
Aoki blinked and turned to her, a bit surprised.
He had been thinking, It’s just a meal between friends, no big deal, and was about to say something along those lines—
But when he saw her face, he couldn’t help letting out a chuckle.
Turning away to cough into his fist, he tried to stifle the grin and replied, “Ahem... it’s just a meal, really, don’t worry about it.
But, uh—Yamada-san, if you’re going to thank me so seriously, maybe wipe your mouth first? You’ve got whipped cream from the ice cream stuck there.”
“...Oh.”
Her serious tone instantly melted back into her usual laid-back mumble.
————————————————————————
Meanwhile—
Kita Ikuyo stood a little behind them, watching the interaction unfold.
That little doubt she had buried earlier? Yeah, it came right back up again.
No matter how she looked at it, something felt... off between Ryo-senpai and Aoki-senpai.
Too comfortable. Too casual. Too close.
Looking back, there were signs—like how Ryo-senpai already knew Aoki-senpai was the original singer of Lemon.
Or how naturally the two of them communicated. And then there’s that saying, “Jokes often hide the truth.”
But with her heart full of admiration and curiosity, Kita completely ignored the more likely reason—Ryo was just weird and liked teasing her for fun.
Instead, her imagination ran wild with speculation.
In conclusion: ‘Even if they weren’t dating, those two were definitely closer than normal!’
Now all she needed... was proof. Just one definitive piece of evidence.
‘Ryo-senpai, Aoki-senpai—I’m sorry! But, I’ll be watching you both very closely from now on!’
Eyes gleaming with curiosity, suspicion, and just a hint of excitement, the Love Detective—Kita Ikuyo made her mental vow.
